Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood tests for diagnosing nasal disease in dogs
By Sarah Rösch et al.·Published in Animals·2024·Ear, Nose and Throat Unit, Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic Utility of Canine C-Reactive Protein, Haptoglobin, and 25-Hydroxyvitamin-D in Dogs with Nasal Cavity Disease
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 55 dogs with nasal problems underwent tests to find out if certain blood markers could help diagnose their conditions. The study found that while C-reactive protein levels were higher in dogs with nasal disease, they weren't helpful in distinguishing between different types of nasal issues. Most dogs had been treated with antibiotics before testing, which complicated the results. Ultimately, the blood tests and bacterial cultures did not provide clear answers for diagnosing nasal diseases in dogs. More research is needed to understand the role of these markers, especially in cases of idiopathic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages without a known cause).
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Abstract
In this prospective blinded study, canine C-reactive protein (c-CRP), haptoglobin (HPT), and 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) were investigated for their diagnostic value in 55 dogs with nasal cavity disease (ND). After comprehensive diagnostics including a culture-dependent microbiological examination (ME) of nasal swabs, 17 dogs were excluded due to additionally detected systemic diseases or steroid pre-treatment. Included were 25 dogs with malignant ND (13 carcinomas and 12 sarcomas) and 30 dogs with benign ND (7 benign tumors, 13 idiopathic rhinitis (IR), and 10 others), as well as 10 controls. In none of the 72 dogs with ND was primary bacterial rhinitis diagnosed. Although within the reference interval, compared to the controls, c-CRP was significantly higher in dogs with ND in general and in every subgroup except for benign tumors. Serum HPT concentrations were not different among groups. Compared to the controls, 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly lower (<i>p</i> = 0.041) in malignant ND and sarcomas (<i>p</i> = 0.025). Despite pre-treatment with antibiotics (40/54; 74.1%), in 23/51 (45%) dogs, the ME was positive. Cultivated bacteria did not differ significantly between nasal diseases. The serum markers were not significantly different regarding the positivity of ME. In conclusion, the investigated serum markers were not clinically useful for the reliable detection of canine ND, as was the ME. Because of the low number of dogs with IR and positive or negative ME, further studies regarding c-CRP are needed in a larger group of IR dogs without concomitant diseases to reliably evaluate its utility in IR dogs with suspected secondary bacterial nasal infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192908